THREE Albanian men have pleaded guilty to a drugs production charge after being caught at a £1 million cannabis factory during a raid in Stevenston.

Ruzhdi Bulku, 37, Mario Hasmuca, 28, and Adelajd Osmanaj, 26, appeared at the High Court in Glasgow today (Wednesday, September 11) when sentence was deferred for reports.

The trio fled the McGowan House premises when police officers set off external motion cameras during a raid on December 15 last year. They were finally snared on wasteland outside the building.

A search found a total of 138.84 kilos of cannabis as well as a further 850 smaller plants across several rooms.

The premises - controlled by company Skye Consultancy Ltd - were also responsible for another cannabis factory in Dumbarton.

Four other Albanian men pleaded guilty to being involved in the £695,000 cultivation and will be sentenced later this month.

They were sentenced at the High Court in GlasgowThey were sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow (Image: Newsquest)

Bulku, Hasmuka and Osmanaj pleaded guilty at the High Court hearing to producing the class B substance.

The court heard intelligence was received that there was a large heat source and strong smell of cannabis coming from McGowan House in Stevenston.

Police who attended the premises on an unrelated matter set off motion cameras on the outer walls.

Prosecutor Lindsay Dalziel said: "This prompted a number of individuals to run from the rear of the building into surrounding wasteland."

Officers entered the premises and found a large scale cannabis cultivation as well as clothes and mattresses inside.

A large scale area search took place with the assistance of the police's air support unit.

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Miss Dalziel said: "Osmanaj was traced hiding in a bush near to the building in possession of black iPhones that were damaged and could not be analysed.

"Bulku approached two officers holding his hands up and was arrested.

"Hasmuca was traced within the grass wasteland next to the building and he was arrested."

A warrant was issued and the premises were thoroughly searched by officers.

A total of £510,000 worth of cannabis from 850 small plants were found in a growing area on the ground floor.

Several other rooms recovered 45 large bags of cannabis weighing 130.82 kilos totalling £497,116.

A further five large bags weighing 8.02 kilos were found in a drying area which totalled £30,476.

Miss Dalziel added: "The total maximum value of the cannabis recovered is £1,037,592."

Sentence was deferred pending background reports until next month by Judge Alistair Watson who continued the Albanian trio's remand in custody meantime.

He said: "The amount involved is significant and the sentence passed will have to reflect that.

"You appear with no previous convictions from Britain and I know very little about you. I will obtain a background report to get a better picture of who you are and what led to this situation."